Malaysian living in Singapore: Why I will never want to retire here

I’m a Malaysian who has been living in Singapore for the past 13 years and I have to say that Alvin is right. I miss the laid-back easy life back home. But I chose to focus on my career and Singapore is the place to do it. If I want a lil Livin’ and some soulful action i just hop across the border. In SG i switch off. In Malaysia i switch on. It has worked well for me and i simply learn to enjoy the best of both worlds.

The thing I love about Singapore is the Safety factor. The thing I hate about Singapore is how they tend to blow things out of proportion esp about the crime rate. The crime rate in malaysia is the same as what you get in Sydney, New York and London. Singaporeans will pay thousands to fly there for holiday but squeal at the thought of driving across to JB. Seriously, if you keep reading Straits Times, then you will have been thoroughly brainswashed by the bullshit newspaper that scares the crap out of you about driving into Malaysia so that you will spend your money in SG and not in MY.

Both countries have their good and bad. However, I will NEVER want to retire in Singapore simply because I wont be able to afford it and I don’t think i want to be surrounded by concrete jungle when I’m in my 60′s and 70′s.

SPLITNIC

*The above was first posted as a comment on The Temasek Times.

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This entry was posted on October 25, 2012 at 9:14 am and is filed under Letters.
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56 Responses to “Malaysian living in Singapore: Why I will never want to retire here”

byebyesaid

PAP Foreversaid

i think Singapore is not that bad a place. At least, it is way better that any of the Africa countries:
1. we have better sanitary facilities for every home
2. we have roads with no potholes
3. we have a larger middle class base than all the Africa countries.
4. Sure, it is common to see our 60 yrs old working at coffee shops etc but at least in Singapore, you don’t read of people dying of hunger like in Africa.
5. Average Singaporean no matter how poor earns a much higher salary than average Africans.
6. our public transport system no matter how overloaded, at least we have a public transport system that connects to almost all parts of Singapore. You can’t boast the same of any of the African countries.

Whether Singapore is good or bad country, depends on your point of reference. If you compare Singapore to Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, US, UK, Australia, Japan, South Korea, and basically developed countries, sure we are no match. BUT we are certainly not bottom of the world. At least when we compare ourselves to whole Africa continent, we can stand proud that no country in Africa come anyway close to Singapore!

So please, pls appreciative of what our PAP government has done for us!

Sinkaporesaid

SianzSGsaid

hello if those that you have mentioned were not done or realized do you still think you have the luxury to sit behind your pc and type the above shit? the progress of SG is not the pap alone. it takes all to work together and to blindly follow pap is just plain stupid. look at other countries, which one of them is still as “obedient” as the 60% even when they have progressed so much so far.

None, all has a change of government, why? this is because the government is paid to served the pple NOT THE OTHER WAY ROUND.

compatriotsaid

I envisaged that you are one of those conceited goons or perhapas an ill-gotten opportunistic foreign thrash that Singaporeans would find joy to bury you deep without trace but then,the PAP would love to have the likes of you and squeeze your ass so deep as you allow them without hesitations

A king wants to rule and it needs its subject,so how is he going to rule without a subject

Do you think that can the PAP government makes progress with the support and blessings of Singaporeans

So instead be more appreciative for the blessings of Singaporeans that makes this PAP being the government of the day,sadly that has behaved being abject and pernicious

Julie Ongsaid

It’s getting more bizarre! PAP Forever has just given us another version of PAP – People’s African Party! Or does he/she know something we don’t – maybe more Africans are coming!

We’ve heard ‘Mee Siam Mai Hum’ (weird), so it shouldn’t surprise if the unexpected happen. Also, I think many of us would have listened or read with stunned disbelief at some of the farcical/nonsensical statements made by several of the ministers. Interesting times indeed. Just imagine how much more so in 20 years’ time!

fair playsaid

5vvapersaid

From you words I can tell you are appreciative of what the PAP govt has done. Indeed many achivements are indeed commendable. But pray tell which country in the to top 10 GDP in the world has the following:

1. No social security
2. Free if not heavily subsidise public healthcare
3. Retirement funds locked up
4. Lease hold public housing
5. Old folks slogging it out as janitors and security for a paltry salary
6. No mandatory minimum wage
7. Pay to buy a license to buy a car
8. Union chief who is also the labour minister
9. Discrimination of LGBT
10. Suppression of expression

The list is endless. So please educate daft me on which countries in the top 10% ranked GDP has the above? Wake up and smell the flower. Being obscenely paid does not mean they are equally competant.

Zamsaid

give others a chancesaid

Those holding PRs who do not convert should be pay higher taxes. Give them 7 years. If not happy, go home. Give other Malaysian & Singaporean a chance to take over his job. PR is a privilege not a right. Also PR should not be allowed to buy HDB Flat. They could rent from HDB. Many SER flats were taken over & not demolished. Need fresh thinking in this area.

thieves and insecuritysaid

Limsaid

I wonder why some like to compare Spore to Africa and then tell us how lucky we are and why we should appreciate the PAP. Why not compare humongus salaries of ministers of SG to Africa or to USA and tell us how obscenely overpaid they are?

Gsaid

Well, some idiots just type without thinking. OR they are so happy with their little pigeon holes and annual rebate from the government that they are grateful to be little frogs in the well. Who knows?

Striking Angelsaid

Splitnic, both yourself and Alvin Tan were right. I have many Malaysian friends who have been PRs in Singapore for past 30 years and they still maintained their Malaysian citizenship. They believed that it will be stupid for them to become Singaporeans. Many Singaporeans like us envy your PR status. Given your position, we will do the likewise. We get to enjoy the best of both worlds. So go the PRCs, Indians, Flippinos, Vietnamese, Myanmaness etc. You need not have to be thankful to the Singapore government.
Just thanks your lucky star!

NSmensaid

How can you guys be influenced so easily by the negative stories about your own country?

I think its the expectations of each individual. You have a choice to how you want to live your life in Singapore. Stop talking cock saying that Singaporeans are being treated unfairly, PAP suck your money dry and living in Singapore is like living in a shit-hole. Come on, you guys had your fair share of good stuffs like peace & prosperity, job opportunities & meet-the-people sessions with your MP. You should be thankful you can walk proudly as an asian in your own land. Try taking a stroll past midnight in China, Thailand, Malaysia or even Australia. By the way, have you tried going to the 公安(China Police) and make a police report on a pickpocket case? You will be fxxking angry when they tell you they lack manpower to investigate and tell you don’t bother them.

Some of you guys made decent profits from your property… so did you contributed your profits back to society? Your children gets proper education & you guys jolly well know every system in Singapore works. No bribery needed to get your police case going, no worries when you make a complaint in Singapore and best of all, how poor you are, you still can get education in Singapore.

I am not a patriotic Singaporean. I dread serving my NS and my work schedule sometimes gets messed up by reservist. But still, i have no complains about how bad the government or how our country works. I’ve been traveling around the world to work and nothing beats working in Singapore, your own homeland except for a little paycut. I have to admit the government takes a mercenary perspective when making their policies and law but don’t you think you should take a step back and put yourself in their shoes. Would you do a better job than them or be a hero to Singapore and use the national reserve to make everyone happy?

Please my fellow Singaporeans, stay united and support your own country. Don’t make those FTs laugh at us when they read about our complains.

ex reservistsaid

Since you proclaim you are not a patriotic Singaporean, then STFU!
You are the last person to give advice.
FTs laugh not because of complaints but at Sporeans like you who are so dumb as to swallow every propaganda churned out by PAP politicians.

fuglkysaid

this is the reason why PR shoud not be given any privilege cos their loyalty is not with SG, so why deprive singaporeans of jobs or any seats in our school and let these people benefit from them? After they have sucked us dry, they would simply leave the mess for Singaporeans to clear up and sneer at us in their mudland saying how stupid we are and that sporns can never retired, have they conveniently forgotten that they are part of our problem too, so once they use us up like what a parasite does to a host they leave. So no more privilege or anything for PRs anymore, they are simply here to work and earn $$ so why waste our limited resources on them.

hongkies three (3) passportssaid

“These aliens are [in Singapore] to work and contribute economically. [… and] WHO WOULD WANT TO COME [to Singapore if we﻿ compel them to adhere to a passport with nine (9) months of validity with subsequent extensions of the tantamount duration until sixteen (16)-and-half years of age, years of full-time military conscription (‘NSF’), lifelong reservist (‘NSman’) liability and exit permit applications as well as restrictions that we IMPOSE on ALL our local lads, no matter how many﻿ MALE children the parents conceive]?
THEY WILL LEAVE!”

basawansaid

i don’t blame Malaysian as most of my relatives are . My wife is also a Chew Hu Lang. i am retired and lived with my wife in a landed property in JB. i can only had my dream in JB, where i had a 6 years old Volvo, my wife’s Honda, my Malaysian son Subaru Sport cars to chose from when i go to Sg once a month to collect my pension payment from DBS and rental pyt for my HDB flat. My Singaporean daugher and my Malaysian Son in Law lived in and owned a 5RMs HDB. They also worked in SG of course. My My’s son is currently applying to be a banker in sg soon. They would follow my example and live happily thereafter. Sure win

Daft Peasantsaid

fair playsaid

People in Sydney are not afraid to walk at night. Well at least in most areas. The few JB folks I know have self impose curfew. I think that already speaks alot.
I do go to JB and other parts of Malaysia and so far alright.
I keep my figure crossed my future trips are safe.
Since the locals are carefull I think tourist need to take extra care.
I do not think JB is as safe as Sydney in general but it is also not as bad as many Singaporeans’ perception.

Ronsaid

Each one is free to choose where he wants to stay or retire too. If one is comfortable with his standard of living in Spore, then it should be okay. Otherwise Malaysia offers plenty of choices.

Is Spore a highly stressed place? It depends on whether one is in that kind of work environment and whether one undertakes effort to mitigate the stress.

As for old people working, it is not a pitiful sight. In Japan they work well into their 70s and I know of Americans who do the same. The old Uncle who drives the golf buggy with its blue security light, in a large shopping mall parkpark in USA, is doing it for my safety. He is unarmed and is there to spot suspicious people and report in. And he makes sure I get into my car safely before he moves on.

True BLUE Sinkiesaid

when I went to the Polyclinic to see the doctor for flu treatment, the fee came to about $15.00 ($10.50 for consultation & $4.00 for medication). I could not pay the money on the spot as I was broke and not working. After collecting the medication from the pharmacy, I walked off without paying. Two weeks later, I received a letter asking me to pay up within a certain period of time or else interests will be charge. How to retire in Singapore if one cannot even afford to pay for the medical fees at the Polyclinic for a simple ailment? I was also fortunate to pick up a packet of Panadol which someone has thrown away. It came into good use as a box of panadol costs around $4.65.